12/09/2021
IGBO TRADITIONAL ORIE DAY-THE TRUE SABBATH DAY .
1951 years ago Around AD 70 Emperor Nero Send General Vespaciens to destroy Jerusalem,More than 2 Million Israelites (Not Jews,there is great lacuna between an Isrealite and a Simple Jew,for the Isrealite is also a Jew.)were killed, Jerusalem razed to ruins.more than 3 million Isrealites flee and headed southwards towards The Wilderness,this is in obedience to The Messiah warning ,that they should not flee to the mountains (Europe) but they should go to the wilderness (Africa).
When they came to Africa,they could not find settlement in the eastern part of Africa because it was already Inhabited by the Children of Ham (Dark or Burn mainly Kenyans Tanzanian 3tc). And The Children or Ham were hostile to the Isrealites the children of Shem,because of their advancement in life as per Yahweh's blessings on them.They have to move west and central wards.
They settled in The Saharan desert and from started to migrate southwards towards The ocean.
As these people came and settle in today West Central Africa they came with their Culture,their religion and way of inter relationship with Their God Yahuwa Eloheem.knowing that their ordeal is as a result of Yahuwa anger on them for disobeying his laws.They seek to get his attention and forgiveness.but Yahuwa curse is already ordained .
That is how we have the Bantu tribes of West and Central Africa.
The West call them during the Trans Atlantic Slave Trade Negroland or Hebrew land,see slave map of Africa.
Now as they start to settle ,they practice their religion which gave rise to what we call Traditional Religion.
Let me be more elaborate and precisely focus on my own Tribe The IBO tribe.Ibo was derived from Hebro,Hebo,Ebo,and now IBO (with language Igbo Speaking).
Tip for you,why does west and central African people except the fulanis and some other migrated tribes have same tradition and customs in common,like marriage ,funeral,child birth etc.same range of food,like yam,cassava, swallowing fufu,from Cabinda till Senegal.
As they settled my IBO people devised a means to calculate time and establish their own Isrealite Calendar which is what they were using in Israel.thus they created base on the lunar movement the Four market days which is presently use in iboland.
The Four market days has masculine and feminine.Eke-Ukwu, Orie-Ukwu,Afor-Ukwu,and Nkwo-Ukwu,these are masculine which give rise to feminine days with same name as Eke-Nta,Orie-Nta,Afor-nta and Nkwo-nta.
These 8 days together makes the Izuka or week in Iboland.
The reason for this is that precisely the movement of the moon,remember the moon is a special occasion with special reverence by Yahuwa the new moon festival which we all witness during the late 70s "odu ezi".
The celebration not the moon is ordain in the laws of Yahuwa Eloheicha.
Every village,clan kindred in Iboland is mandatory to choose a market day,some have 4 markets with all the four names,some have 3 ,2 or at least 1.
The only single reason for this tradition is to know the exact day of the Sabbath,and the festivals of the laws of the Torah.
For example when you focus and monitor 1 eke market day you will find out that from one Eke-Ukwu day when you count 4 Eke-Ukwu you will come to the 26th of that month on the solar calendar which we use today.
Now the most sacred day in Igbo culture is the Orie -ukwu day,some will argue that it's Eke day,no it's not ,but the reason why it look so is this.
Because the Holy sabbath starts at sunset of the sixth day and runs through sunset 7th day as per lunar time.
The Eke-Ukwu day is the begining of Sabbath day at dusk.
So major ceremonies like funeral , marriage etc that will lead you till sunset in activities is prohibited,this is to let you get ready for Sabbath day which is Orie-Ukwu day.
You can go to your business farm and be back just before sunset.
The main day is Orie -ukwu day this is the Sabbath bday .
There is no wedding funeral etc.its the most sacred day in Iboland .
And this is the Most holy Sabbath day of Yahuwa Eloheicha Eloheem.
Now as the reader look for a corresponding situation in your culture, there are many culture and many ways but when you look into your culture you will find out that your ancestors have ways of monitoring the moon to correspond to the Sabbath.
As an Ibo man, ask yourself this question,why is it that every village or community in Igbo land till the Ijaws and Ibibios who are closely related to Ibos have same market days among the four market days?
Because it's a tradition from the forefathers.
In our next week edition, we will explore the possibility of you understand the ceremony or rituals that are performed during the Sabbath Rest as per my own people the Ibos.
As your read this, there is one thing you should always remember,the Sabbath is the sign between Yahuwa Eloheicha Eloheem and his true Children,and if you are not observing Sabbath day,then you are disobeying Eloheem,for heaven and earth shall pass away,his laws shall never be destroy.Udo diri unu Nile.
Shalom.
